Toronto Blue Jays 2017 top prospects: #10 SS Bo Bichette

With a rich family history in baseball, Bo Bichette jumped out of high school ball and showed off some pop just like his father Dante in his pro debut

The Toronto Blue Jays drafted Bo Bichette in the second round of this past year’s draft.  The Lakewood High School graduate was know for having a thunderous bat.  He makes solid consistent contact and has a high upside at the plate.

Do not get to distracted by his bat, though, because Bichette is the complete package.  He has all the tools to become a very well-rounded, smart player.

Name: Bo Bichette
Position: SS       Age: 18
Height: 6’0″    Weight: 200 lbs
Throws: Right            Bats: Right
Acquired: 2016 MLB Draft (2nd Round)

Growing up in a household with All-Star Dante Bichette as a father has shown his two sons how to play the great game.  Bo’s brother Dante just finished his age-24 season with the Trenton Thunder at the triple-A level.  Their father, Dante Sr., was best know for his time with the Colorado Rockies.  He helped kick off the expansion team with his fellow Blake Street Bombers in the early 90s and established a winning culture there with the team.

With baseball being so prevalent in the Bichette family it is no wonder that the Bichette boys have taken to the game at such a high level.  Below is a news clip from Lakewood, FL that talks about the Bichette family.  Bichette is not just riding his fathers coat tails, of course, he is the real deal and we got just a sample of his talents in his short season debut this past season.

After being drafted as the Blue Jays’ second round pick he joined the Golf Coast League Blue Jays and got to play every day shortstop.  Through 22 games he showed that handling a wooden bat was no issue.  Bichette put up an eye-popping .427 batting average in 22 games in the GCL.  His offensive output was truly astounding and he seemed to be playing in a league of his own, raking in 60 total bases which included nine doubles, two triples, and four home runs.  In case you are not impressed yet, he also scored 21 runs and drove in 36.

Many would jump to the conclusion that he might be over-performing some at the Rookie level but many scouts expect high offensive production to continue for the young middle infielder.  Bichette has a solid swing that might look odd to some at first.  It is, however, fundamentally sound.  All the motions in his swing are made to get himself loaded up as much as possible.  In the below video we look at the entirety of his swing.  I like how he starts with his hands high and throws them into a good position as the pitcher winds up.  This acts as a good timing mechanism to get his big leg kick in.

This swing generates tons of power and as he matures he will only hit the ball harder.  He was known for being one of the hardest hitting High School students in this past years draft.  He loads up so much on that back leg and dives at the ball that many think he could be a consistent power threat.  Then, if you factor in could be playing most of his games at the Rogers Centre, maybe we are seeing a future Troy Tulowitzki or Aaron Hill type of player in the making.

He needs to continue to be patient at the plate and make sure he gets the pitch he likes to show off that pop.  He also needs to rely on his instincts and mature baseball IQ to continue to shoot up the Blue Jays organization.  Being part of a baseball upbringing, he has had the benefit of talking baseball with his father Dante and plenty of his friends over the years.  He is dedicated and looking to become the best player he can be.

One of the big questions so far for Bichette has been where he will play up the middle of the diamond.  He played most of his High School career at second base but he appears to be settling into shortstop.  He has said in multiple interviews that he is most comfortable at short and feels that is his natural position.  This could play a big role in how fast he moves levels through the Jays system as there are few prospects up the middle currently outside of SS Richard Urena.

It is hard to tell where Bichette will start this upcoming season but he appears to be destined to start the year with the Lansing Lugnuts in single-A.  He played well above the level in the rookie level and he could be a solid fit to play short stop or second with the Lugnuts.  This will get him into a full-season league and we can see how that bat holds up over a full season.  If Bichette continues to impress look for him to shoot up the ranks quickly due to some depth issues in the Blue Jays middle infield throughout the system.

Next: Jays discussed David Robertson?

Top-30 Blue Jays prospect rankings:
#30: RHP Jordan Romano     #29: RHP Yennsy Diaz     #28: CF Reggie Pruitt
#27: 1B Ryan McBroom     #26: CF Roemon Fields     #25: 2B Cavan Biggio
#24: RHP Jose Espada     #23: RHP Patrick Murphy     #22: C Danny Jansen
#21: OF Dwight Smith Jr.     #20: RHP Zach Jackson     #19: RHP Francisco Rios
#18: OF Harold Ramirez     #17: C Max Pentecost     #16: Ryan Borucki
#15: OF Joshua Palacios     #14: OF J.B. Woodman     #13: C Reese McGuire
#12: RHP Conner Greene     #11: IF/OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr.